Natalie, also known as Floral Brat, is a maker of many things from can planters and mosaics to custom quilted clothing. Although Natalie no longer resides in Indianapolis, she left her mark with her beautiful glass mosaics found all over the city. I sat down with Natalie to talk more about her passion for giving life to vintage and forgotten items. You can keep up with Natalie and her work on Instagram.
Destany Long: What piqued your initial interest in designing your products?
Floral Brat: It was a natural progression. I’ve always been crafty. I really wanted to focus on repurposing forgotten items. I knew someone that was doing stain glass pieces and I was like, “Hey, can I have your scraps to try out mosaics?” I don’t remember what actually made me want to try them but I just knew that she had all of this broken glass sitting around and so I asked her for it and that was the beginning. The glass mosaics are what spoke to me. I’ve always sewed and crocheted but mosaics are the one thing that I tried that I actually had the patience and passion for.
DL: Retail locations where people can find your product:
FB: I have three mosaics in Fountain Square. I have a piece at Chromatic Collective in Broad Ripple. You’ll see it on the stairs that lead up to the gallery, it’s on the side. I have one on the front of Masterwork Tattoo downtown. There is also one on a bridge on the east side of Indianapolis, near Kan-Kan Cinema. It’s awesome to have pieces around other places that I really admire.
DL: What principles do you use when designing?
FB: I try to think about how the piece is going to be balanced. I always try to consider how I want that glass to be presented. Do I want it to be translucent and really bright? Do I want it to play with negative space? Do I want a lot of white background? That is one of the biggest considerations.
DL: Who and/or what influences your design style? How would you describe your design aesthetics and values?
FB: I would say a little bit of everything. You’ll see what I do and it goes from being inspired by quilts to the Mcdonald’s logo; it’s insane. Anything nostalgic really speaks to me too. Sometimes I’ll just see something amazing and I’ll want to recreate it. I want to give it a different meaning.
DL: What comes first for you, the design materials or the design concept?
FB: In the past when I was repurposing anything, it would obviously be the materials. I find some old thing and I think it’s the coolest thing ever and I want to give it a new life. As far as the mosaics go, it’s more of an idea. I see something that inspires me, or I think of something that I have to recreate and hopefully, I already have the materials on hand.
DL: Dream commission/client?
FB: I actually did a commission for Minus Skate Shop. You’ll see skateboards released this upcoming winter; which I’m super excited about. I’d like to do more commissions in the future but I haven’t really advertised for it yet. My dream commission is Passport Skateboards! They are based in Australia, you should really check them out. I have a lot of their skateboards at home. They are what made me interested in repurposing items. Their style really speaks to me. I would be honored to work with them.
DL: What makes your work different from anyone else’s?
FB: I’m definitely not the first or last person to do mosaics. I would say my style stands out. I’m not following the classic square, rectangular or triangular pieces. I’m just doing random broken shards. The designs and the subject matter are also very unique to me.
DL: Describe a piece you’ve created that you are most proud of. What was special about it?
FB: The Ronald McDonald piece; it’s my favorite. That piece was inspired by an old menu head from the ‘90s. I have a soft spot for anything nostalgic and lighthearted. I’m a collector of antiques and one of them is anything cheeseburger-related. I know it’s ridiculous but I’ve been dying to do something encompassing that for the past year.
DL: Is there any maker you would recommend to be highlighted for this series?
FB: Reclaim and Rethread @reclaimandrethread
Gartner@emilygartnerdesigns
Rafael @rafikigram
